With the walls clean and stable, it’s time to start filling in the holes.
First thing to go in are the power distribution boxes that will take all the power connections from the sockets.
Then the sockets for the fridge and work surface.
And the light switch by the window.
Yep it was a dirty job, the walls in the kitchen we covered with layers of old whitewash an dirt and soot. Before we could do any more work it all had to come off. So with the entrance through to the rest of the house tapped off with plastic and duct tape it was time to put on the dust masks and get on with the job.
The end wall was the hardest as the soot and grease from the fire was burnt on, but once you got through it it came off.
We discovered that underneath the white was some red coloured paint which had been made to match the real terracotta tiles which originally were below it.
With the rest of the room cleared we then applied a mix of PVA glue and water to stabilise the surface.
Back in side after a week or so working on the lower patio it’s time to get moving on the kitchen.
Looking towards the end wall we have chiselled out the sockets and conduit runs in the wall ready for sockets, under cupboard lighting and the extractor.
April Fool, well not really as they don’t have that over here, they have something similar on Dec 27th, But that another story.
Sadly all we got up to today was pouring more concrete. Just another section complete on the lower patio.
Slightly weird shape to this one at it tapers in at the end to fit the wall.
That's now most of it complete, just the edges and a bit at the far end by the steps to complete.
Also planted out some of the veg for the summer that we brought at the weekend, First up courgettes and cucumbers.
Then Peppers.
And finish off with tomatoes and lettuce.
A while ago we put some concrete in on the upper gardens to build a wall to stop the soil from disappearing over the edge. Today we installed more blocks to go with ones we had fitted a few days ago.
The remainder of the cement was used to neaten up the edging of the lower patio, before we lay the next slab.
The view from the roof shows where the next slab has to go in.
Another day and time to pour another slab of concrete. Not to difficult this time just move the frame and pour, Seem to have got this down to a fine art now.
The view from the steps end.
And looking back the other way.
Having got a complete slab of concrete on one side of the lower patio, it time to start on the other side. So we moved the frame into position and then shifted several barrow loads of gravel down from the top. After a rest for several hours and lunch it was time to star the concrete pour, the second in 24 hours! It took a while longer for this one as it is a large area and quite thick, and it slopes up to meet the ramp at the end. But once done gives a nice feeling.
That's it we’ve done it now.
Yep we have a complete concrete slab at the front of the house, Ok I spoke to soon, it’s not complete, complete but one side is now finished.
OK it doesn’t go completely to the steps, but there are a few things that need doing before we can get that far.
This is the next bit at the bottom of the ramp.
I’m going to fit some power that’s what I gona do (Apologies to UB40).
Yes finally we are starting to work on the kitchen again, the first job is to get the conduit runs and sockets into the wall, this is not made easy by the fact that these walls are made of concrete that was poured around rocks. So every time you chisel a hole in the wall there is a dirty great rock just where you want the socket to go.
Here is the sockets for the fridge and worktop, with the holes for the distribution boxes down below (they will be behind the fridge when done)
And a different view showing the socket at the other end of the worktop. The big black patch is where the original barbeque pit was, all this soot has to be cleaned off the walls sometime which is going to be a messy job.
Now before we can lay the next section there’s just one more thing to do. We need a little more soil just to bring the level up just a few inches.
With that and the manhole done we can pour the next section of the lower patio.
Where are we getting the soil? We are digging out a section on the next level down which will be the foundation for a wall that will go in, in the future to make the path down better.
In the garden things are doing we have harvested the Broccoli and will get a few more bits of them soon, the Cauliflowers are coming soon and we shall eat them starting this week. the first lot of Onions are maturing nicely, along with the Beetroot.
A second crop of Onions has gone in.
And we are trying and experiment this year Garlic… not that we expect a vampire apocalypse soon.
The first crop of potatoes has come out and in there place are the Beans, Peas, and later Maize.
And the second crop of potatoes is just beginning to pop up. One big problem this year is that we have had a very dry winter, almost no rainfall, so we have had to water the crops manually.
Before we can put the next section of the lower patio we have to do a couple of jobs, the first on is just a quick manhole to connect a few conduit runs together, unfortunately as the manhole cover was smaller than any of the ones we had used before we had to build a new former first and then cement it in.
and dig a channel through to inside the house. What are these conduits for, we aren't sure at present, but they go to various points in the garden for possible power feeds for pumps and watering control that may happen in the future and it’s better they go in now before the concrete is laid.
Now we have finished a few tasks which needed the cement mixer at the top of the garden we could shift it and the gravel down to the bottom and continue with the lower patio. With the machine down at the lower level it meant that we could just turn the machine over an pour out the cement into the prepared area.
So that's about a 6th of the main area of the lower patio.
After what seems like an age we are finally in a position where we can start work again on the kitchen. The first thing we need to get sorted is all the power feeds and first we have to chisel out the hole for the distribution box.
A long time ago (in a galaxy far far away…) we were building the walls around the outside kitchen and patio. On bit for one reason or another never got done.
So finally after two years we got back to it, first we had to sort out the former and the steel work. The pour the cement.
To save having to run up and down with buckets full of cement we used our rope slide technique to bring down the loaded buckets.
We have just finished and released the website for the following holiday cottage
Holiday cottage Casa del Riachuelo, Garafia, La Palma, Canary Islands, a holiday cottage in the north of the islands ideal as a centre for relaxing holidays
Description
In the region of Garafia the canarian people make there living working the land, rearing goats, or tending vines to produce the award winning local wines.
Nestled between the vineyards and the forest you will find the holiday cottage Casa del Riachuelo, named after the ancient spring which used to flow nearby.
Casa del Riachuelo is a single storey self-catering cottage completely restored in the traditional Canarian style.
Email: riachuelo@casaslapalma.es
Website: http://riachuelo.casaslapalma.es
We have a few places where we need a couple of buckets of cement.
The first was just a little bit to finish off the wall on the lower patio.
Then a few loads behind the walls on the top level so that we can then put on some blocks on as the soil layer is a little bit higher than the top of the wall.
Then just to use up the remainder of the cement a little bit of the decorative garden wall.
A few weeks ago we built a small wall on the lower patio. we needed to pour some concrete behind this wall to finish it off.
So with that now done we can start work on the rest of the lower patio.
One of our aims this year is to try and grow as much of our vegetables as we can, so just before Christmas is our main planting season (no chance of frost here) before the winter rains set in.
So the first lot of brassicas are in along with onions, and boniartio (sweet potatoes). The old crop of sweet potatoes are being harvested and eaten as needed.
Up at the top level we have carrots, leeks, more brassicas at the far end, the tomatoes and peppers will be going soon.
Then back down on the lower level are the potatoes, these are the first crop planted in October which should be ready to harvest in January.
Having got the first part of the lower patio done we decided it would be nice just to put a small wall in at the end by the ram just to neaten things up.
So a few blocks later here it is, also at the same time we have straightened the edge of the ramp just to give it a better edge.
Just needs a fill with concrete behind to top off.
Also we have dug over the veg plots ready to take brassicas (Cabbage, Cauliflower, broccoli) and then beetroots and turnips in the second bed.
Time to repeat the steps and do the third section of the Lower Patio.
Now this needs a few weeks to set before we bring down the cement mixer.
